Did A CrossFit Athlete Work Out So Hard Her Arms Exploded?

Did a CrossFit athlete work out so hard her arms exploded? That's what it sounds like and it seems horrifying!

Thankfully, this is something many of us on Dave & Chuck The Freak will never have to worry about. Seriously, how hard are you working out for this to happen? It's a lot like the story we talked about on air the other day where lacrosse players worked out with a Navy SEAL and ended up in the hospital. Yes, working out is good--but not when you take it to the extreme!

A good work out will leave you feeling swole. You'll feel pumped up and probably sore. Maybe you feel like you can't lift your arm anymore and they've become useless. What you probably haven't had happen was your arms explode after your workout. Unfortunately, it sounds like that's what happened to this CrossFit athlete!

According to The New York Post, a South Carolina woman, Jessica Johnson, was hospitalized after her arms "exploded" while doing pull-ups during a high-intensity CrossFit routine. It sounds like she was participating in the Murph Challenge which is a cross-training regimen where you run a mile, complete a circuit of 300 squats, 200 push-ups, and 100 pull-ups, followed by another mile run afterwards. Yeah, that sounds like it could be a lot on your body!

It sounds like the Charleston native didn't have any problems until she left the gym that day when she started to notice she was pretty tired but assumed it was because she hadn't worked out her arms in a while. The next day, her arms were sore and swollen which was new to her. She tells The New York Post, "I thought 'I haven't done pull-ups in forever, it was a hard workout, they'll go down, it's fine." However, problems continued when she realized she couldn't fully extend her arms to brush her teeth or get ready.

The next few days, her arms remained swollen and even a darker orange color compared to how they usually look. She also noticed that despite drinking a lot of water she wasn't peeing. Finally, when she lost feeling in her hands she went to the hospital and after one look at her arms the doctor said she needed to go to the ER immediately. That would be scary to hear! It turns out the blow up was due to rhabdomyolysis which is a life-threatening condition where muscles break down and release toxic chemicals into the bloodstream. It's basically poisoning your blood. They were able to get in and cut open her arms to relieve the swelling. She was discharged from the hospital days later with some liver damage but is expected to make a full recovery.

Don't work out too hard! Take your time and don't over do it, it can lead to some serious problems!

Working out is hard to do. Factor in being sore from previous workouts, and it makes skipping your routine too enticing. There are ways to push through that soreness through workouts that stretch those tight, sore muscles all while getting active. Below, we have suggestions that make it easier to overcome feeling sore.

My go-to stretch video for sore muscles and flexibility, Sarah Beth's 20-minute-long video is perfectly calming and soothing as you smooth out those tight muscles from the inside.

Slowly foam rolling post-workout and incorporating active recovery cooldowns post-workouts are just some of the suggestions proven to enhance muscle repair.

During an intense workout, lactic acid is produced and builds up in your muscles, causing pain and soreness. The below video demonstrates how to effectively get a light workout in on your rest days while incorporating stretches.

This 20 minute full body active recovery workout is slow paced, with a preview of what to expect before the exercise begins. The man and woman show different modification on how to complete the workout and stretches to show the many ways to tailor it to you.

Fitness instructor Amy shows us gentle recovery movement, mobility and flexibility in an easy to follow, 22-minute workout. She's great with encouraging you to only do what is comfortable and to not push yourself too much.

This "5 Ways To Reduce Muscle Soreness (INSTANTLY)" goes more in depth about the benefits of using cold and heat therapy. Ice baths and cold showers can help reduce inflammation, while going to a sauna, steam room or jacuzzi session a day or two after your workout can help loosen up tight muscles.

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